Valentine's Fall [Paperback]

Cary Fagan is a prolific writer for both adults and children, with several picture books, novels, and short-story collections under his belt. His writing has garnered praise and awards, including the Toronto Book Award and the Jewish Book Award (twice). His most recent novel for adults brings its protagonist, musician Huddie Rosen, back home to Toronto from Europe. Hiding from an imploding marriage, he finds more at home than he expected: his mother, a lost love, and a memorial for Valentine, a friend who died 25 years earlier when he fell from a roof while wearing a full set of antique armour. The thread that runs through these disparate stories is Huddie’s all-consuming love of bluegrass music, which is beautifully described throughout. These descriptions are moments of calm in an otherwise hectic and sometimes outlandish story. The simplicity and directness of Fagan’s writing is admirable, and it comes out especially in the music. Huddie often escapes into reveries about music, bringing the reader along for the ride: “[The mandolin’s] sound was narrower and either harsher or sweeter, depending on how it was played. There was something more primitive in its voice, wilder. It had a faster heartbeat, like a small animal.” But much falls apart in the telling of this quirky story. In fact, the story itself is a rehashing of many of the movies Huddie would have grown up watching: it is The Big Chill meets Eddie and the Cruisers with a dash of Goodfellas for spice. As a result, most of the plot twists are expected, and everything seems familiar enough to quash any tension or emotional connection. Chapters often end on an overly poignant and heavy-handed note, such as when Huddie leaves a restaurant and passes an old acquaintance’s dog: “When I reached down to pat its head, the dog barely raised its tail.” There is no special meaning to this; it illuminates nothing. The central parts of the novel – the plot concerning Valentine and his fall – would be better glossed over. The real gems are the music and Huddie’s mother, sadly languishing in her basement, selling records on eBay.

This isn't a fairy tale. Valentine Schwartz had it all: his raven-haired girlfriend was the most beautiful girl in school, he came from a rich family, and his best friend, Huddie Rosen, all but worshipped him. But he wasn't the brightest and was known for making mistakes. And no one could have foreseen him falling off the roof of his high school, in a suit of medieval armour, ending his life at the tender age of seventeen. Huddie Rosen moved on. He went to the University of Tennessee and fell in love with bluegrass music. It leads him to a new life in Europe where he starts a family. But when his family life goes sour, Huddie decides to go back to Toronto for his first visit in twenty-five years. As he begins to reconnect with his old friends, he soon finds himself wrapped up in their lives. It's a wonder anyone was able to live without him. And as his old and new lives begin to clash, he finds himself wondering which life is better. Valentine's Fall is a fast-paced, quick-witted novel that explores themes of remembrance, regret, and redemption.

Cary Fagan has worked as a writer for twenty years. He is the author of such books as The Mermaid of Paris, Felix Roth, and The Animals Waltz. In 1991 he, along with Robert MacDonald, received a Toronto Book Award for editing the book Streets of Attitude: Toronto Stories. Cary has also received two Jewish Book Awards and a Mr. Christie Silver medal. He has lived in London, New York City, and currently resides in Toronto.